Entertaining an infant is easy at a large family gathering. The baby can simply be passed from one pair of waiting arms to the next. However, when mom is home alone with the baby or at a smaller get-together, what to do with the baby when he or she is awake can become a problem. When left in a car seat, bassinet, playpen or the like, the baby quickly becomes bored and cranky. While a swing or jumper seat may provide some entertainment for toddlers, these devices are frequently inappropriate for infants and provide only a respite of limited duration from the inevitable boredom associated with looking at the same thing.
The invention of the parent application is directed to an entertainment device for infants comprising a stationary base, a seat which receives the baby in a semi-reclined position, a motor for rotating the seat relative to the base and a source of power for the motor. Preferably, the infant carousel is equipped with a programmed microchip, a music box, or the like, which plays a lullaby or other soothing music which will induce sleep. The power source may be an a.c. source but is preferably a d.c. battery or mechanical spring in order to eliminate the need for a cord and plug.
This infant carousel rotates the baby through 360.degree., preferably at a rate of between one-half and four revolutions every minute, allowing her/him to see everyone and everything in the room. Further, everyone in the room gets a good view of the baby. This is unlike a conventional swing which gives the baby and the onlookers the same view all the time. The preferred embodiment of the parent invention employs a one-piece molded plastic seat member which is contoured to receive the child. The seat member is preferably equipped with a seat belt to prevent the child from falling or crawling out of the device.
A perceived problem with this earlier device is that, while it is relatively light weight, weighing less than 30 pounds, it is somewhat bulky and difficult for most mothers to move from room to room, particularly with the child in it. The present invention addresses this perceived problem with a redesigned molded upper member which becomes a receptacle for a baby carrier. When the baby needs changing or when mom no longer wishes to have the baby in the carousel, she simply grasps the handle of the carrier and lifts it and the baby out of the molded receptacle. The baby carrier may be specifically designed for use with the carousel or, more preferably, is a multiple use carrier that is used with other devices such as a car seat, a stroller or simply as a pumpkin seat.
As an optional feature, the base may be formed with a cam track upon which the roller of an actuator rod rides. The other end of the actuator rod engages in an opening formed on the back of the baby carrier and gently rocks the carrier as the carousel rotates. A second embodiment of the new upper member allows much less plastic to be used, significantly reduces the mold cost and cycle times resulting in more competitive costs per piece.
It is an additional feature of the present invention that the same base can be utilized to support a toddler carousel having a rideable character such as a pony, or the like. In a first embodiment, the pony has rockers on its feet and is mounted directly in the center of the carousel and simply rotates about its vertical axis. The toddler can rock the pony as the base rotates the pony and its rider. In a second embodiment of the toddler carousel, the pony or similar sittable character is mounted on the periphery of the carousel and the toddler can experience a more conventional carousel-type ride. The motor for the toddler carousel can be designed to provide a rotational speed of between one and eight rpm and, it is within the scope of the present invention for the gearing to be designed to allow the same motor to provide power for both the infant and toddler carousels.
Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent after a reading of the following specification.